Special needs kids have fun, learn skills on the golf course

Uxbridge’s Mill Run hosts Fairway Drivers program each summer

Uxbridge Fairway Drivers at Mill Run Golf Club

Celia Klemenz / Metroland

UXBRIDGE -- Mill Run Golf Club is in its third year of offering a golf program, called the Uxbridge Fairway Drivers, for juniors, ages 6 to 21, with special needs. Matt Savage, a golf pro at Mill Run, assisted Madison Bailey-Borges with her chipping as Gavin Schmidt, centre, and Weldon Kester looked on. The program included five weekly lessons and seven weekly games of golf at Mill Run's Highland course. August 12, 2013

UXBRIDGE -- It’s a near perfect summer afternoon when members of the Uxbridge Fairway Drivers show up at Mill Run Golf Club for their weekly round of golf.

Some hang around near the clubhouse catching up since the last time they were all together; others are down on the chipping green working on their short game.

Whether they’re gossiping or brushing up on their golf skills, it all adds up to a pleasant day on the course for approximately 12 golfers and their families on this particular Monday afternoon.

The golfers are typical in almost every way, with the exception of being young -- none over the age of 15 -- and they’re all special needs youths who’ve fallen in love with the game since being introduced to it three years ago.

The Uxbridge Fairway Drivers program was the brainchild of Maria Borges, of Uxbridge. She and her family have all been avid golfers and they wanted to get daughter Madison Bailey-Borges, who has Down’s syndrome, and other area special needs youth into the game.

“Being in northern Durham, all the programs were down in Whitby and Pickering, so we felt there was a need in Uxbridge,” notes Borges. “My husband and I love golfing and we have been working with both of our children since they were four or five years old and we wanted to get Madison more involved. We looked at the Special Olympics and a lot of their programs were for adults, so we wanted to have one of the first youth golf programs in Uxbridge.”

Borges notes that in the three years since the program started at Mill Run, Madison has not only become a better golfer, but has also blossomed socially as a result.

“We know how the sport has improved Madison’s confidence, and it has definitely made a difference in how she thinks about herself. Working with the kids the initial year, they went from driving the ball 10 yards to driving it 50 yards. The I-can-do-it attitude here has been phenomenal,” she explains.

When approached with the idea of hosting a golf program for special needs youth in Uxbridge and area, Mill Run golf professional Matt Savage says he was only too glad to jump in with both feet.

“It was a good opportunity for us. It gives these kids a chance to do something they wouldn’t normally do,” says Savage. “From my understanding, it’s the only program for special needs junior golfers in Canada. It’s kind of neat to do something other places weren’t doing.”

For their part, Borges says the parents and kids are grateful to Mill Run for allowing the program to flourish.

“They’ve been phenomenal,” she says. “For three years running, they’ve been open to allowing us to do the things we want to do. They’ve been great partners. They’ve really embraced the program.”

The 12-week program this summer got underway in late May with five weeks of clinics, helping the young golfers master the fundamentals of the game, everything from chipping to driving the ball off a tee. The clinics are followed by seven weeks on the course playing actual rounds. Parents are encouraged to come and golf with their children and are charged a nominal weekly fee of $5 for the use of the course.

Borges says the program started with eight regular golfer three years ago, peaked last year at 16 golfers and this year 12 golfers have regularly taken part in the program.

“The response has been phenomenal,” she says. “We’ve got 12 core people in the program this year. We haven’t done much advertising; it’s just been word of mouth in the Uxbridge area.”

The Uxbridge Fairway Drivers recently had one of its young golfers take part in the provincial games for Special Olympics in Newmarket last month. There, Ahren Eickmeier finished 10th out of 72 golfers at Newmarket’s Rolling Hills Golf Club.

The golfers themselves say being part of the golf program has been a big part of their summer.

“I like golfing; I do,” says Madison, who notes she enjoys chipping the ball onto the green.

Steven Burfield says it’s fun to golf, adding his favourite part of the game is driving the ball.